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If You're Reading This, It's Too Late

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Were you browsing twitter last Thursday night? I happened to be scrolling in time to watch the link to Drake's new mixtape get tweeted out, and unceremoniously deleted from Soundcloud, where it was posted, in the middle of track number 4. Whomp. I went to sleep, and woke up to a treat on Spotify. And I've been listening to the mixtape ever since. Dancing around the apartment to it. Using it as background music while I comment on blogs or clean. I don't talk music here on the blog often, at least not single albums, but sometimes (and for Drake) exceptions must be made :)

With the mixtape, If You're Reading This, It's Too Late released officially on February 13th, Drake takes a page out of Beyoncé's playbook, dropping an album seemingly out of nowhere. And my overall impression of it is love. Granted, that might need to be taken with a grain of salt. In high school, I was obsessed with Aubrey 'Drake' Graham during his Degrassi days and well beyond. I feel like I'm inclined to love anything he creates. That said, I really do think this mixtape was exactly the collection he needed to release.

As much as Drake would hate me saying this, If You're Reading This reminds me of "old Drake". A lot of his lyrics are delivered over beats that have a chill, old school vibe, similar to the sound of his earlier music (think more sophisticated versions of "Don't You Got A Man" and "Comeback Season"). And lyrically, he's simply phenomenal. It's the kind of music you throw on in your car and just cruise to. I love music like that. And because of that, I have quite a few favorites.

"Know Yourself", forever known as the song I was listening to when the mixtape got deleted, has been stuck in my head for days. This could greatly be attributed to my boyfriend, who sings the lines randomly and showed me a hilarious video of Wayne bopping to the track. Regardless, I love the way the beat drops in and find myself rocking back and forth to it for the whole four and a half minutes. I probably look like I'm on something but whatever I like it.

Sadly, that's not the only song that gets me moving me like a crazy person. As soon as "No Tellin'" or "6 God" starts, I can't control the moves I bust out. I'm not proud of it, but you should probably never draft me for a dance battle You Got Served style. And the beginning of "Star67" gets me embarrassing-ly hype. Like "what is she, having a seizure?" hype. *Ducks head*

"You & the 6" is a heartwarming tribute to his mother, which I didn't grasp at first, until I heard "I mean I kill 'em every time they do a song with me momma, I sing the hooks they sing along with me momma, what more they want from me momma." I think proceeded to rewind the verse approximately seventeen times. In between lines that play like an open letter to his mother, he launches into asking his mother to forgive his father, who abandoned them when he was young. "Look how we livin', I'm content with this story, who are we not to forgive him?" There's something about this track that reminds me of "Dear Mama" by 2Pac (tall order, I know). It's gotta be my favorite track on the mixtape, maybe one of my favorite Drake songs.

I have loved Drake since Degrassi too! I remember watching a 30 minute special on Noggin about him trying to be a rapper and it ended with a ridiculous little video for some song I never heard again. Then he blew up and I was like, wait, wheelchair Jimmy is a rapper?! Either way, I agree with this sounding like the "old Drake". I have enjoyed everything he's released but this mixtape is better than a lot of what he's done over the past couple of years.

So okay, I usually do not like Drake (or maybe secretly love him, because he can drop ridiculous beats - I hate Lil Wayne, so I think I get so sick of the collabs between them). This is solid though, really solid, and I totally get what you mean about "old Drake." I'm loving it. Though if we're being real... whenever I think Drake, I think of this meme my brother sent me YEARS ago: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=22105623

Hello, I'm Kari

Super ♥ girlfriend, daughter, friend & writer. Lucky enough to call New York City my home. Addicted to pretty little things, making lists, anything coffee flavored or scented, curling up with a good book, strolls through the city at night, xl glasses of wine. And a little glitter never hurt nobody.